Can love happen twice?
by always31
Summary: Hermione loves Draco. He, however, is confused which hurts Hermione more than he can imagine. She leaves his life and he lets her. When Draco does realise Hermione's importance in his life, will it be too little and too late? Take a backseat through the roller-coaster ride that is Draco and Hermione's love story, as they figure out what they mean to each other. DMHG. AU
1. A sense of betrayal

**A/N: Hello everyone. It's been a long time since I wrote my last story. This one is very close to my heart. All the characters are still not mine (sigh) and only the story belongs to me. Hope you enjoy it. Don't forget to review. Positive criticism is welcome but kindly refrain from writing mean reviews. Happy reading!**

**P.S: All the words/phrases _italicized _are the character's thoughts.**

"Why?" she cried out. "It's nothing. Stop exaggerating, Hermione", he said laughing it off. "I'm exaggerating? Wow Draco. You have some guts. Look at this picture, damn it. I can't believe it. You have a picture of yourself and Astoria, posing together and set it as your phone wallpaper. Then you say it's nothing."

She got out of the car, shut the door and walked away from him, never looking back. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him drive away. The fact that he made no efforts to stop her was her final breaking point. She went straight to her room and locked it with a _Colloportus_ charm and then muttered a few more spells quickly. _Muffliato. Silencio. _After that, she was inconsolable; crying on the floor like there was no tomorrow.

* * *

***2 months later***

Hermione was running in the park opposite her flat in the evening, with her headphones on. Suddenly, the music stopped playing and there was a steady buzz coming from her cell-phone. She frowned. _Who's calling me at this time?_ Without actually seeing who was calling, she just clicked the answer button on her headphones. "Hello", said Hermione. There was silence on the other end. She looked at her phone; it was an unknown number.

"Hello? Who's there?" she repeated. "Guess who?" said the other person. Hermione's heart was thumping furiously in her chest. "Draco?" she said at last. "How are you Hermione?" asked Draco. "Umm…I'm… I'm fine. What about you?". "Why are you panting, Hermione?" asked Draco. "I was umm…running actually. Why did you call me and whose number is this?" she asked. "It's mine, seeing as you have blocked my other number and also set up wards in your home against me", said Draco quietly. "I need to go, talk to you later" and she hung up.

She was sad but also furious. _How dare he call me after that day? _She blocked this number too. _Good riddance. _

However, she couldn't stop the onslaught of memories that a single phone call brought. Several images flashed before her eyes.

_Their first kiss, in his car with rain pouring outside. Draco kissing her passionately in his kitchen. Both of them going shopping together in Diagon Alley, holding hands. Draco blatantly flirting with other witches, in her presence. She confessing her feelings to him and his apparent disregard after that. Them going to Wizards and Wands, a party club and him leaving with his friends and sending her off alone with Blaise, asking him to drop her off. _

After months of being strong, picking up all the shattered pieces and trying to move on, here she was again. All because of a single phone call. She went to a bench in the park, sat down and cried. It started raining but she didn't notice and was drenched to her soul, with rain and her tears. _It's his birthday tomorrow. _She wanted to cry more but was exhausted and went to sleep immediately.

* * *

***2 more months passed by***

Hermione was happy. She was with her best friends Harry and Ron, and they were playing a game of Exploding Snap in her living room. She had a mug of hot coffee in her hands and was sitting near the fire, reading a book. Ron was cheating as usual and Harry was berating him. Laughing at their antics, Hermione picked up her ringing phone. It was Ginny calling her.

"Hi Gin. How are you?" inquired Hermione. "Hey, Herms. I'm good. Want to come down for a butterbeer and some gossip?" asked Ginny. "Haha. Sure Gin. Who else is going to be there?" "Oh, it's just me and Luna. Let's catch up. Meet us in an hour at The Three Broomsticks. Bye. See you" saying which Ginny hung up. _Funny girl. _

Hermione wore a cozy mustard sweater and her skinny blue jeans. She charmed her hair to get soft curls and then did a minimal makeup charm. _I owe Ginny for this one. _She took a quick look in the mirror, waved bye to Harry, and Ron and apparated to The Three Broomsticks.

Ginny was sitting there with Luna on a table at the far end of the cafe. But what shocked her was that Draco Malfoy was sitting with them, conversing like they were all friends. She felt a sense of betrayal and a stab of jealousy.

She wanted to leave unnoticed but to her dismay, Luna saw and waved at her.

"Hi, Hermione. Draco was just passing by and we invited him over. I hope you don't mind," said Ginny shyly.

"Yes, I'm sure he was "just passing by". Who are you trying to fool, Gin? Why did you call him over and why did you not warn me beforehand?"

"Hermione, calm down. Okay fine. Draco asked me to call you over because he wanted to talk to you. Frankly, even I think it feels so immature the way you two keep fighting like that. You're supposed to be friends," exclaimed Ginny.

"I second that," was Luna's reply.

Hermione, however, was not impressed at all, "Friends, is that what we are now? When did this happen? Did I miss the memo, Draco?"

"Hermione, we need to talk. See I'm not going to apologize because I didn't do anything wrong," said Draco demurely.

"I don't need to do anything Draco and if I say I don't want to talk to you then that's my final decision. I'm leaving now." With that, she got up and exited the café furiously.

"Hermione. Hermione, wait. Hermione, listen to me for once. You talk to him now. Luna and I are leaving and I'm placing an anti-apparition charm on you till you resolve your differences with him," saying that Ginny and Luna apparated away.

* * *

Hermione was left alone with Draco and she tried to apparate away but couldn't. Draco came up to her and touched her arm lightly.

"Hermione, listen to me please."

"Do not touch me Draco Malfoy. You have lost this right. And I do not want to hear a single word from you. Leave me alone, I'm going to walk away and you're going to watch me like you did that day," said Hermione viciously.

"Fine but let me drop you off in my car. I got a new one by the way," said Draco conversationally.

"Congratulations" was Hermione's stiff reply as she reluctantly sat down beside him again.

This time, however, she felt like a stranger.

**A/N: Thank you for reading. I will be back soon with another chapter. Don't forget to review and follow me for further updates. **


	2. Playing with fire

**A/N: Hello lovely readers! Thank you for reading and liking my story. To all those, who took out the time to review, thank you so much. Here's another chapter for you. Let's not keep you waiting.**

Hermione lay on her bed, replaying all the bitter-sweet memories. Draco had dropped her off at her apartment just a few hours ago. He had tried to persuade Hermione to talk to him, but she didn't give in. She was tempted, mind you, but she kept a strong head and shut off the soft corner of her brain.

It was 2 in the morning but sleep, her only escape, had eluded her this time. So, she got up and went to her small library, her happy place. Hermione's library was her safe haven. To anyone else, it was disguised as a shelf decorated with trinkets, souvenirs, and photographs. However, only Hermione could access the library behind it.

She tapped her wand and muttered a password '_Semper'_ and the shelf turned to reveal a beautiful, cosy library with alphabetically arranged books. Hermione picked up a random novel and sat down on a plush black chair. In a few minutes, she was sleeping peacefully.

* * *

***Next morning***

Hermione woke up with a sore neck, having slept on a chair all night and it was 9 in the morning. Thankfully, it was Sunday. Yesterday's memories came zooming back and she decided to empty her mind. She went to her pensieve, the one which Harry had gifted her; placed the tip of her wand at her temple and extracted out several memories.

She decided to face her fears and visit them once again, rather than locking them away in a corner of her mind. Most of the memories pertained to Draco. She dived right in.

_The first memory was the one which hurt the most. Draco and Hermione were meeting Blaise at a local coffee shop in Diagon Alley, to catch up. They had just placed their order for food when Draco's phone started buzzing and he excused himself. He repeated the process thrice and even Blaise was irked._

_ Draco said, 'I have three of my friends meeting me at a dance club: two girls and a guy. You know the rules, Blaise. No stag entry. You both can come along too if you want. Well, Hermione what do you say?' _

_Hermione had a lump in her throat. She looked at Blaise and he shared the same look with Hermione, disappointment. They went to the club, where Draco deserted Hermione for his friends. Hermione sat there, feeling like a stranger and took out her phone. A text suddenly popped up. It was from Adrian Pucey. _

_Adrian and Hermione had become good friends __after the war. He__ had moved to Australia a few years back. As soon as Hermione started texting, Draco came up behind her; he'd read the texts but he knew nothing about Adrian and Hermione's equation. Something shifted in his eyes but he didn't express it._

_When they were all done for the night, Draco told his friends that he and Blaise would drop Hermione off and then have some dinner. However, one of the girls, Alicia, said in a breezy voice, 'Draco, you come with us.' Draco didn't need to be told twice. 'Blaise, you drop Hermione off. I'll see you both tomorrow.' _

_As Blaise and Hermione apparated to her flat, she invited him over but he politely declined. He kissed her on the cheek and said, 'Hermione, you deserve someone better. He's not worth it, let him go. It will destroy you. I apologize for his behaviour today. But please look for someone who deserves you. Goodnight.' He apparated away and Hermione broke down once again._

_The second memory was when Draco and Hermione were going to visit a museum in Muggle London. Hermione had insisted they travel together by bus and had arranged everything for Draco. All through the journey, Draco had been distant but Hermione had been eager to spend some quality time alone with him. _

_At a bus stop, a girl entered the bus. Apparently, she was an old acquaintance of Draco's. She hadn't noticed him but Draco held out his hand to block her path and she looked up. 'Oh my God Draco! How are you?' 'I'm good Olivia. Come have a seat.' She sat opposite Draco and he didn't even introduce Hermione. So, she plugged in her headphones as Draco busied himself with Olivia. _

_Hermione could hear every word they were speaking; she could hear Olivia fawning over Draco and him carelessly flirting with her. Hermione was seething but she was also dying inside. As the bus came to a halt at another stop, Hermione got up. Draco looked at her questioningly. She ignored him and asked Olivia to take her seat as she was leaving. Draco was shocked but Hermione didn't look back. _

_That was a fatal blow to her already sinking self-respect. She didn't know why she was letting that man take over her sanity. She was Hermione Granger, 'the brightest witch of her age' and here she was reduced to a pile of tears by a guy she'd been crushing over. She felt pathetic._

_Then the scene shifted to another memory which had bludgeoned her self-respect to an all-time low. She'd been shopping in Diagon Alley when Draco called her. He was going to visit his parents but needed to see her. He said he was missing her. Hermione felt elated and like a fool, she apparated to Draco's flat. _

_Draco greeted her inside and told her that he was leaving in an hour. So they should hurry up. 'Hurry up for what?' Hermione asked. He started kissing her passionately, lustfully. They were in his kitchen and she was perched upon the shelf, him standing between her legs. He picked her up and laid her on the bed and started nibbling all around her neck. _

_After about an hour, he told her to leave because his flat-mate, Marcus was about to arrive. Hermione left immediately. She reached her flat and sat down on the floor, feeling desolate and numb. She had no tears left to cry. She felt dirty. He'd used her and then when he was done, asked her to leave, just like that. She could hear her phone ringing, it was him but she wanted nothing to do with him anymore._

_All she wanted now was the strength to let this man go and the resolution to never look back. _

Hermione exited her memories but this time she didn't cry. She'd turned into a numb, emotionless person now. She could feel but couldn't express. As much as she wanted to blame him, blame someone, she couldn't. She'd brought this upon herself. People had warned her that he wasn't good enough for her but she'd given him a second chance. Her friends had cautioned her not to trust him, but she wanted to prove everyone wrong. Her intuition had never failed her before; there was always a first time.

She had learnt an important life lesson now; if you play with fire, you're going to get burned.

* * *

***A week later***

Hermione was talking to Ginny on the phone, she'd forgiven her. She and her bleeding Gryffindor heart. Ginny promised her that she wouldn't pull a stunt like that ever again. Hermione meanwhile was trying to drown out her memories by dabbling in the dating experience. So far, she'd been on a date with Cormac McLaggen but it had failed miserably.

The guy was a narcissist: he'd talked only about himself all through the evening. He'd even insisted that they split the bill and then held on to her hand forever. Hermione's hand in his felt wrong and she couldn't help but compare it to Draco's.

Then, Cormac had dropped her off at her apartment door and asked her for a kiss. She obliged half-heartedly and the kiss felt disastrously wrong to her. The kiss turned into a full-fledged snog but he didn't even notice that Hermione had not responded. Cormac apparently didn't share Hermione's view because as soon as he came up for air, he dived right back in for another.

"Wow, Hermione. That was amazing. You know, I have to go party with my friends after this and I will have to drink. But I wouldn't want to. You know why?"

"Why, Cormac?" asked Hermione perfunctorily.

"Because it would mean that I'll lose the taste of your lips", said Cormac. "Cheesy, wasn't it?" he asked as an afterthought. "Just a little bit", said Hermione smilingly but the smile didn't reach her eyes.

Without even inviting him over, Hermione waved him off. As soon as she got inside her flat, she burst like a balloon full of repressed emotions: guilt, sadness, longing, loneliness. She felt miserable. She had kissed Cormac but instead of focusing on kissing him, she'd imagined Draco in his place. And why the heck was she guilty?

She did the only thing that could help her; she went to her library and slept on the chair. Her dreams were the only place where her self-respect was still intact and she knew her worth.

**A/N: '_Semper' _is a Latin word meaning _'Always'._**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'll be back with another one in no time. Till then, read and review. **


	3. Amends

**A/N: Hello lovely readers! I'm back with another chapter. The next chapters will also be posted soon enough; I'm working on them. I want to do the characters justice as this story is so close to my heart. Thank you for stopping by and don't forget to review! **

It had been a week since Hermione's disastrous date with Cormac. Although she repented ever meeting Cormac, she still wanted Draco out of her mind and her life. Meanwhile, she'd become good friends with a fellow Hufflepuff, Justin Finch-Fletchley. She looked fondly at her phone as his text popped up. She remembered the exact day that she had thought of introducing the Wizarding World with the Muggle invention.

_She'd discovered how to operate phones, in a way that would allow their use even in the presence of so much magic in the air. It was long overdue, according to Hermione. She'd been fed up with owl post and cleaning up the mess they left behind. As romantic as sending letters through owls was, she felt the communication system needed a revamp. So, she started tinkering with mobile phones. _

_However, there still remained the mammoth task of convincing the wizards and witches to give up on the archaic communication method and adopt a Muggle invention. She'd started with her group of friends; Harry was already on her side, but the idea of convincing Ron and the Weasleys was frightening really. _

_All of them were apprehensive, well except maybe Mr Weasley, who jumped at the idea. Now, nobody could imagine their lives without those 'cellies' as Ginny called them._

* * *

***A week later***

Hermione was meeting Ginny at Twilfitt and Tatting's, the clothing store in the south side of Diagon Alley. The 'Unbelievable Wizarding Sale' was on and they wanted to snag a few good bargains. Also, Ron's birthday was approaching next month and Hermione wanted to buy an early present for him.

Another flashback jolted through Hermione's mind. _It was Hermione's birthday in 2 days. Draco was planning a trip to the mountains. However, Hermione had told Draco repeatedly that she could not spare even a single day for the trip as she was tremendously busy with her work. She was training to be a Scientist and it was no secret that she worked hard. Draco, however, paid no heed until the very last day. He requested Hermione to go with him but she denied. _

_So, instead of cancelling 'her birthday trip', he went with 3 other witches: Ginny, Alicia, and Astoria. She actually had no right to stop him; he wasn't her boyfriend. _

_What pained her more was that he took them all on his car, the Muggle technology he had once despised. She felt betrayed and hurt. But she was helpless and let it go._

"Earth to Hermione," said Ginny snapping her fingers in front of Hermione's unfocused eyes. Hermione shook her head to clear it. "Sorry, Ginny. Must've been the wrackspurts," said Hermione jokingly.

After they had shopped to their heart's fill, they went for lunch. Hermione felt free and happy after a long time. She wanted to live and not just survive. She decided there and then that the reigns of her life would never be pulled by another, ever again.

* * *

***A few weeks later***

"Hey, Harry. What's up? Everything alright?" asked Hermione picking up her buzzing phone.

"Hi, Hermione. Yes, everything is fine. I just wanted to invite you to join Ginny and me for a nice lunch today; my treat. Meet us near Zonko's in Hogsmeade. There's a new restaurant that I want to try. Will you?" asked Harry apprehensively.

"Yeah sure, Harry. I'll see you later", said Hermione.

"Wait, Hermione. There's something else. See I want to be completely honest with you. Draco is going to be there too. You know Ginny and Draco bond well now. So, I just couldn't say no to them. Would it be okay?" asked Harry concerned.

As much as she wanted to decline the invitation, she responded positively. "It's okay Harry. I don't want you to have to choose between Ginny and me. I understand. I'll be there. This thing between Draco and I has gone on for more time than needed. We both need to grow up. We're adults and I need to learn to tolerate his presence. I assure you I'll be civil and I'll hear out anything he has to say to me."

It was half-past 12 noon and she needed to get ready. So, Hermione went and took out her dark-blue long, turtleneck dress and paired it with black stockings and black knee-high fur boots. She wore a tan coat over it; it was February and quite chilly outside.

She apparated to Zonko's at 1 pm and saw Ginny, Harry, and Draco standing outside the newly-inaugurated 'Copper Cauldron'. It felt strange looking at a man, for whom you once felt a deep passion. You look him in the eye and feel nothing. You're numb. You have no emotions for him anymore; no hatred, no regrets, nothing.

_You both are just strangers with memories now._

"Hey, Herms. It's so good to see you. Why are you always working? We were so relieved that you were coming finally", said Ginny happily.

"Hi, Mione. Thanks for understanding", said Harry.

Draco, however, had been silent throughout the whole conversation. Finally, he spoke, "Hello Hermione. It's good to see you."

"Hi, Draco. Good to see you too. How have you been?" asked Hermione sincerely.

"I've been….umm…I'm fine. Been working out and studying, keeping myself busy. You look nice, by the way. Different." replied Draco.

"Thanks. Let's proceed for lunch, shall we?" said Hermione and they moved into the restaurant. Draco surprised Hermione by taking the seat next to Hermione.

All through lunch, Draco paid Hermione his utmost attention. He asked her questions and Hermione answered them as sincerely as she could. To Hermione, it felt like he wanted to make amends like he genuinely cared. She was confused and 'confused' was not a good look on her.

Hermione was relieved when she reached her apartment because she needed to sort things out in her head. All of last year, Hermione had craved for Draco's attention. She had wanted that look of actual affection in his eyes but all she had seen was disinterest and neglect. She had been heartbroken. Now, however, she felt that was easier to handle.

_Ugh… What does he want? Get a grip on yourself, Hermione. He's just playing you, as usual. You fall in his trap once again and you're going to look even stupider than you already do. So what if he was sincere today, that doesn't make up for all the wrongs that he did to you? Just let it go. _

_I should probably text him and talk to him personally. Let him know that it's not necessary for him to go through that. She had already forgiven him and she had moved on, without him. _

_One text wouldn't hurt now, would it?_

What she didn't know was that one text could change her life.

In life, many times, we don't know the purpose of things that happen to us. However, the Universe always knows. Sometimes, we should just lay back and let the Universe do its magic.

**A/N: That's a cliffhanger right there. Wait for the next instalment to know how this story evolves. Be right back. Read and review till then. Have a nice day!**


	4. Draco's clarification

**A/N: Hello lovely readers. I'm back with another chapter. It's the one you've all been waiting for: clarification from Draco. So, without further ado, get reading. Let me know your thoughts. **

Hermione was an excellent orator and an indulgent conversationalist. She was also a perfectionist. So, it was natural that she was still stuck on drafting an apt text to Draco. It had been 4 hours since she'd returned from lunch with Ginny, Harry, and Draco. All she had typed was:

"Hey, Draco. How are you?"

_No, no, no. That would not do at all. _

"Hi, Draco. It was nice to catch up", she re-attempted.

_That's even worse. It was nice to catch up. Idiot._ She slapped herself on her head.

"Hi." _Now that's perfect. Finally. _

"Hey, Hermione" came Draco's prompt reply.

"So, are you happy that I texted you now? That's what you wanted, right?" asked Hermione.

"Yes and yes" was Draco's response. _Hermione was surprised. When had he learnt to be honest?_

"I'm sure it would be asking a lot of you but can we talk?" continued Draco. "Sure. Go on. I'm listening", replied Hermione.

"Not on text. I want to see you in person. Can you meet me?" typed Draco. "I'm not sure that's a good idea, Draco" was Hermione's hesitant reply.

"I know after what I did to you, you shouldn't even be talking to me, much less meeting me. But consider it as a favour. Please?" requested Draco.

"Okay fine. See you at the café next to my apartment at 7" said Hermione.

"Thank you. I'll see you then" was Draco's reply.

Hermione's head was in frenzy and that was saying something. At 6.15, Hermione got up from her bed and stood facing her closet. _Why do I never have anything to wear? I have to dress casual like I didn't put any effort into dressing but still come out looking perfect._

At ten past seven, Hermione was ready but also late. She was wearing a black sweatshirt with black boot-cut pants and a dark green jacket over it. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun and she had just applied a nude lip-balm and black eye-liner. She also had her earmuffs and gloves on. It was dead cold outside and she didn't want to catch a cold.

* * *

She apparated to just outside the café and saw Draco waiting for her. She approached him with, "Hey. I'm sorry I'm late."

"Hi, Hermione. It's okay. I'm surprised you came at all. Let's go sit inside the café."

There was a sense of vague familiarity and distant hesitation between them, at the same time. Draco was lost in his head at the moment. _She looks beautiful, even more than before. Why did I ever do what I did? Will she even listen to me now? There's only one way to find out._

"Hermione. First of all, thank you for agreeing to meet me. Secondly, I called you here to apologize for the way I have treated you the past year", said Draco solemnly.

"It's fine. It's done and I have already forgiven you. Sometimes, you need to forgive people even where there is no hope of an apology; not for them but for your own sake. If that's all, maybe I should leave," said Hermione calmly.

"No, Hermione. I want you to sit down patiently and listen to all I have to say. You've been very patient with me for a year; I ask you to extend that patience today. I don't hope for everything to go back to how it was between us but just true forgiveness from you", pleaded Draco.

"Alright, fine. I'll hear you out", conceded Hermione.

"Okay, here goes. Hermione, you know when we reconnected I'd just gotten over a bad breakup with my ex-girlfriend. It had been a 3-year long relationship and I was committed to her. But then, as you know, she cheated on me. I was broken and I swore I would never let anyone get close to me. I attained this 'playboy' status and drowned all my worries in girls and parties.

Then you entered, with all your innocence and honesty. I could share everything with you, talk to you, hold you but I was afraid of the extent of my feelings for you. I knew if I let you anywhere close to my heart, I would fall hard for you so I pushed you away.

However, I wasn't that strong always and pulled you back in because you always let me. You gave me chances that even I think I didn't deserve. You were confused and I was vulnerable. I never wanted to hurt you, never wanted to take advantage of you but I just never realized that I was. You were getting hurt and I just didn't care because I was hurt too.

The moment you stepped out of my car that day, I knew it was a big mistake but letting you walk away from me was an even bigger mistake. I wanted to stop you but I braced myself that it was just another girl. That night, I felt like a piece of my soul had just left me. I cried all night and I knew there and then: I had feelings for you.

I wanted to reach out to you; I wanted to hug you. But I knew I needed to become a better person for you. I was hard on myself, reminding myself every day that you cried because of me. I gave up on every single thing that I didn't deserve: my father's wealth, my apartment, partying, and meaningless flings. The only person who had believed in me, Draco Malfoy, ex- death-eater, was gone. I had made her leave and hurt her in the process.

All you wanted was to help me and love me and all I wanted was for you to not meddle with my life. I was hell-bent on destroying my life, and I guess I just didn't want you to save me."

Both Draco and Hermione were in tears as Draco stopped talking.

Hermione was speechless. All she had expected was a short apology but never this. However much she pretended that she was strong and that she had moved on, she still missed him. She would always have a soft spot for him, no matter what he did. It was her self-respect that had been wounded and that was the reason that she had chosen to walk away from Draco, that day.

Today, listening to Draco talking about everything was too surreal for her. She let the tears fall freely because she was tired of pretending.

Finally, Hermione spoke up, "I don't know what to say, Draco. I get that you were vulnerable back then but you were harsh on me. I understood that you needed time and space to get over your breakup with Sienna but you never said so. Getting over someone doesn't have to mean kissing someone else and then pushing them away. You made me believe that you had feelings for me and when I got too close for your comfort, you chickened out.

I'm sorry, Draco Malfoy, that is not getting over someone, that is leading someone on. In this case, someone who had genuine feelings for you. It is damn hard for a girl to go up to a guy and admit that she likes him; it takes guts. When a guy like you demeans her feelings by flirting with other girls, in her presence; that's inhumane.

Draco Malfoy, I have loved you for a very long time but that doesn't mean you can take advantage of those feelings. I accept your apology but I'm sorry it doesn't make things right between us. You're only entitled to what you deserve. It's time you earned what you want."

Hermione stood up from the table and stepped outside the café. It was dark outside. Draco followed her.

He held out his hand and Hermione shook it. However, before Hermione could take it away, he pulled her in and whispered in her ear lightly, "A Malfoy always gets what he wants but this time, he will earn it."

"We shall see then. Bye" and Hermione apparated. Draco muttered, "Oh, you will Hermione. I won't let you down this time" and he too apparated.

**A/N: I hope you all liked it and it helped shed some light into Draco's motives. The next chapter will be posted soon enough. Till then, read and review. Don't forget to follow me for future updates. **


	5. A prelude to new beginnings

**A/N: Hello readers! Here I am with a brand new chapter. Something is stirring up in Draco and Hermione's love life again. Let's dive right into it. Oh, and I checked with J.K. Rowling, the characters are still hers, only the story is mine. Sigh. You guys, read and review. Happy reading!**

It was a bright and sunny Sunday morning.

Hermione was lying in her bed and reminiscing about a good dream. Just then a text popped up on her screen. It was from Draco and it said 'Morning'. She smiled and texted back. He had insisted on saying 'Morning' instead of a regular 'Good Morning'. He had said that 'Morning' felt more personal to him.

Two weeks had passed since Draco and Hermione's meeting. They had started texting each other regularly; random texts throughout the day about the weather, Hermione's work, Draco's work, and the day's news. They basically just kept in touch with light banter on Hermione's part and shameless flirting on Draco's part; it was really cute.

* * *

Blaise Zabini was the one who had warned Hermione to not indulge with Draco, a few months back. However, over those months Blaise had been astounded by the drastic change in Draco. He had basically given everything up; the partying, the casual flings, money, in short, the bachelor life. The guy had even left his posh penthouse apartment and rented a decent two-bedroom flat in the city.

Reflecting upon it, Blaise could only think of two possibilities: either Draco was a very convincing actor or he was in love with Hermione.

However, even Draco Malfoy couldn't be that good of an actor. So, the only other possibility left was that he was in love with Hermione Granger and she didn't know the extent of his feelings for her. No guy would otherwise willingly sacrifice so much for just another girl. It was the only plausible explanation for him making googly eyes at the texts popping up on his phone's screen.

Blaise sighed. _Now, what to do._

* * *

***Flashback***

Hermione Granger was a precious soul. Draco Malfoy had realized that after he had almost lost her. He was a fool to have hurt her; he had been an even bigger fool to let her go. But he had learned from his mistakes. He had strived hard to become a better version of himself.

After Hermione had left him, he had started distancing himself from everyone. He'd observed that the people who pretended to be his friends, had never tried to know the reason of his aloofness. The moment he had stepped out of his penthouse apartment, the girls who had always swarmed him, had all but deserted him.

And then there was Hermione, who had selflessly helped him get over his breakup. She had never let him down but he had always found another way to disappoint her. He had fought each day like a battle; a contrast to his old-Pureblood luxurious life.

He had designed himself a ridiculously busy schedule, on purpose: to keep himself off the thoughts of Hermione.

His day went something like this:

He woke up at 5 a.m. daily;

Freshened up and went to the gym at 6 a.m.;

Took a bath;

Got ready for office;

Had his breakfast at 8.30 a.m.;

Apparated to his office at 8.50 a.m.;

He was interning at a law firm, The Fawley Law Firm, owned by his father's friend. The office was located just near Gringotts Wizarding Bank.

He wrapped up the day's work at 5.30 p.m.;

Apparated back to his apartment, stopping by at 'The Juicegenics-Fruit Juices and Smoothies shop' to get a glass of the day's special juice;

He rested for an hour;

Went for a walk or jog in the park opposite his apartment;

Prepared for the cases assigned to him;

Cooked dinner or ordered something healthy;

Read a novel;

Went to sleep at 10 p.m.

It was a perfectly anti-social routine and he loved every minute of it. On the weekends, Draco, Blaise, Theo Nott, and Marcus Flint would meet at either of their houses or go out for a game of Quidditch.

It was hard for Draco to renounce his old ways; for a Pureblood- wizard to give up everything that he had been used to. He knew he deserved it after what he had done to Hermione.

The moment she had stepped out of Draco's life, everything seemed to have started going wrong. It was like the Universe was not just throwing a hint at him but practically asking him to reconsider his life choices. Foolish though he had been, he knew when to take a hint.

He was lucky that Hermione had given him another chance; another shot to rectify what he'd so terribly messed up.

* * *

***Present-day***

It was a Sunday finally. Draco woke up lazily at 9 a.m. He texted Hermione a 'Morning' text before he got out of his bed. He got a reply back and he smiled fondly.

After getting ready, he scribbled a quick letter to Hermione and sent it out through his owl 'Herculean', instead of just texting her.

The letter said:

_Dear Hermione_

_Meet me near Florean Fortescue's Parlor at 6.30 sharp. Wear something warm. _

_Looking forward to meeting you._

_Yours._

_Draco_

* * *

Hermione heard a gentle tapping on the window-pane of her bedroom. She got up and was surprised to see a beautiful Eagle-owl sitting outside her window; it was Herculean, Draco's owl. She let the bird in and plucked a letter from its beak. She gave the owl a pat on the head and owl treats. She scanned the letter over.

She flipped over the letter and scrawled her reply, put the letter in the owl's beak and let it fly out.

* * *

Draco received his letter back. He flipped it over to read her response eagerly.

It said:

_Draco_

_You are such a self-righteous man. Fine, I'll see you at 6.30 p.m._

_Sweating with anticipation over your plans._

_Hermione_

Draco laughed at Hermione's sarcastic sense of humour. Now, he just couldn't wait for the clock to strike 6.30.

He had a date with Hermione Granger.

**A/N: Please read and review. Let me know how you like the story.**


	6. The Date

**A/N: Hello my lovely readers! I'm back with another chapter finally. I apologize for the delay. Thank you for stopping by and don't forget to review! As much as I'd like, the characters are still not mine. The original creator is still JK Rowling and she will be.**

It was 6.30 p.m at last. Draco had been ready since 5 and had been checking his watch at an interval of every 10 minutes. He was nervous and excited about his first date with Hermione. He had it all planned in his mind. He was taking Hermione to a cozy, romantic restaurant located in the middle of a lake overlooking a picturesque view of the mountains.

Draco promptly apparated to Florean's parlor where he was meeting Hermione.

A minute later, she too apparated there. He was awestruck by Hermione's appearance. She had taken his advice of wearing something warm but was still fashionable. She looked beautiful. On the other side, Hermione had a case of nerves and relaxed just enough internally to notice how handsome Draco looked.

"Hi there, Hermione. You look beautiful!" "Thank you, Draco. And you look charming yourself" she blushed. "So, shall we?" he asked. " let me know the location, I'll apparate there." "Oh, we're not apparating but taking a portkey. It activates in about a minute. Hurry up!" said Draco.

"Okay let's go. Here, touch this tin can," said Draco. Instantly, the portkey transported them. Dazed by the journey, Hermione slowly started taking in her surroundings. The scenery was breathtaking. They were standing on a piece of land, which was surrounded by water on all sides. Since it was already getting dark, she could only make out the outline of the mountains and she was just dazzled with the view.

"Good evening! Welcome to The Mountainside Chalet, sir and madam", greeted the host jovially.

"Good evening. Malfoy party of two, please" said Draco.

"Sure Mr. Malfoy, Ms. Granger. Please follow me." Hermione and Draco quietly followed the host to their table. The restaurant was themed like an old cottage with tasteful modern upholstery. The path to their table was made out like a stoned road surrounded by gravel. All the tables were hidden from view by wooden separators to give the diners some privacy. Draco and Hermione's table was all the way at the back of the restaurant, in the small garden.

"Please have a seat", said the host as he pulled out the chair for Hermione. "Your server will be with you shortly. Enjoy your evening."

As the host left, Hermione felt nervous being alone with Draco. She started looking around her. The garden was beautiful. There were fairy lights all over the fences and the bushes. The air had a pleasant earthen scent. There were everlasting candles around their table which provided warmth against the chilly breeze.

"Hermione, how do you like the place?" asked Draco. "It's exquisite actually. Thanks for bringing me here." Just then their server appeared before them.

"Good evening Madam and Sir. My name is Steve and I'll be your server today. These are your menus. Whatever you wish to order, just tap your wand against its name on the menu and it will appear on your table within 5 minutes. Same for drinks and if you want a refill, please tap the glass and it will reappear. If you need any assistance at all, please tap your menu and call out my name, I will be by your side instantly. I hope you enjoy your meal." He disapparated after saying that.

"Let's order first and then we'll talk", said Draco. "Okay sure", said Hermione.

Hermione tapped her menu twice and Draco thrice.

"So, Hermione how are you?" "I'm fine. What about you? How's your internship going on?" "My internship is finally over. I've now applied for a full-time position at various law firms. Just waiting for a reply from them sometime soon" "Oh that's wonderful. You'll do great I'm sure." "Thank you. What are you doing now? I know nothing about you." "I'm actually studying to be a scientist. I'm currently engaged in research which should prove helpful for serious magical bug ailments like Dragon pox." "That's really impressive, although expected from you," said Draco. Hermione noticed him looking intensely at her and blushed. Just then, their food appeared.

They ate and conversed politely, both wanting to reacquaint themselves with the other's life. When they had finished with their dinner, Draco summoned Steve and asked him to put the dinner on his tab. "Let's go for a walk outside", said Draco. So, they both thanked the server and moved outside the restaurant.

Draco held out his hand for Hermione to take. She contemplated for just a moment and then took it. She blushed at the contact and Draco's look was incomprehensible at her reaction.

"Hermione, now that we are fed and are done with the small talk, I'd like to tell you something. I want you to listen to me. I'm sorry for each and everything I did to you. In my own twisted way, I cared for you and respected you. I liked you, I fancied you, I adored you. My mind had accepted this notion that you were out of bounds for me. A forbidden fruit. Someone I could never be with. However, the past few months have given me a fresh perspective on life. Now more than ever I know one thing, I will rectify all that I did wrong to you. All I ask is a little more patience from you. Will you be the bigger person once again and forgive me?"

"The past months that we were away, I told myself that I wanted nothing to do with you anymore. But I know I will always harbor a soft spot for you. So, I will accept your apology on the condition that if you ever repeat any of your earlier behavior, you will be dead to me. You will see me walk out of your life forever then."

"Yes, Hermione. I agree with that and I never intend to lose you again." Saying that Draco tucked a tendril of Hermione's hair behind her ear. His touch was like a bolt of warmth that coursed through her. This reaction was just too much for Draco.

He leaned in and kissed her on her lips very slowly. It was a sweet, sensual kiss and Hermione moaned. Draco then intensified the kiss coaxing her lips to open so that he could delve into her mouth with his tongue. He hugged her close and kissed her like she was water and he had been parched. They kissed and the sky celebrated. It started drizzling but they paid no heed. Finally, an eternity later they stopped. Hermione looked into Draco's eyes and she could see the same passionate fire burning in them that was consuming her at that moment.

"It's getting late. We should go, Draco." "Yeah, we should." Neither meant what they were saying.

Hermione finally snapped out of the trance and realized she had to get up early the next day and go to her lab. So they took the portkey back to Florean's. Draco wanted to drop her at her flat but Hermione wasn't ready yet for the implications of that. So, she politely declined.

As soon as she apparated to her home and changed, sleep took her. On the other side, Draco replayed the kiss in his mind and fantasized how it would feel when he could fully have her; when she would truly be his. He smiled and went to sleep.

**A/N: Everyone please take care of yourself. In the midst of this pandemic, please prioritize your mental health and also your family's. Reach out to someone and don't lose hope. We will tide through this. Be safe and keep others safe. Sending good vibes your way!**


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